You were looking for a permeable patio? - TechniSoil

The Comprehensive EkoFlo® Permeable Pebble Binder Maintenance Guide

Having drainage issues? Tired of the maintenance of other ‘Natural Surfaces’? Or just Looking for a unique paving solution?

_{THEN……YOU FOUND EKOFLO!}

You installed it. You love it. You still must ‘MAINTAIN IT’!!!!

EKOFLO is our most durable, low maintenance and longest-lasting pavement solution

EKOFLO is suitable for ALL weather and climate conditions

• Freeze/Thaw safe
• UV-resistant
• Non-soluble
• 95% permeable

All these are great attributes that make EKOFLO such a durable product!

Unlike using a stone dust/decomposed granite material, EKOFLO is designed to be used with a ‘water-washed material, such as, pea gravel, river stones and beach pebbles

The most common size used is a 3/8” material, but can be used on 1/8-1/4” material as well, and is sometimes preferred for heavier use projects                                                                    

(smaller pebbles have bond points that are close together, making the system a bit ‘stronger’)

A ½-3/4” pebble can be used in ‘LANDSCAPE’ applications, such as tree wells, paving joints

*Larger pebbles are not recommended for foot trafficked areas

*Material larger than ¾” isn’t recommended because it is difficult to fully coat when mixed

THE GOOD NEWS……EKOFLO-TREATED SURFACES REQUIRE NOMINAL MAINTANANCE!

THE EVEN BETTER NEWS…….IT’S INCREDIBLY EASY TO MAINTAIN!

HERE WE GO……..TIME FOR OUR MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDATIONS

In our INSTALL GUIDE we recommend a ‘Maintenance Coat’ be applied every 2-5 years

–Wear and Tear–

has the largest effect on when a maintenance coat will be needed.

The more the surface is used, the more the binder can abrade from the surface

AND……

WEATHER AND CLIMATE CONDITIONS!!!

Although EKOFLO is UV-Stable, non-soluble and freeze/thaw safe, weather still will affect the maintenance schedule of your EKOFLO-treated pavement.

SO…HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IS THE ‘RIGHT TIME’?

There are 2 KEYS to knowing when a maintenance coat would be recommended

1. When all the original ‘LUSTER’ is gone. Since EKOFLO is a ‘resin’, it coats each pebble, and like a shellac or varnish on wood, the EKOFLO liquid will enhance the color of the material dramatically. The luster of the finish will slowly start to diminish over time, and although EKOFLO is UV-resistant and isn’t soluble to water, MOTHER NATURE still has her effect on when that maintenance coat is needed. When the surface looks ‘DULL’, the best bet is to prepare for a maintenance coat in the next couple of months
2. The other sign that maintenance is needed on your EKOFLO surface is when there are loose pebbles showing up on the surface. RARELY, will pebbles become loose sooner than 12 months after install, usually closer to that 2-5 year mark we speak of in the INSTALL GUIDE. If stones are coming ‘unglued’ sooner than a year from install it usually points to a application error- most likely not mixing with enough EKOFLO, unclean pebbles or improper mixing. If this loosening occurs earlier than 2-5 years, a ‘Maintenance Coat’ will often rectify the loose pebbles. Most of the time the ‘loose’ pebbles occur when the surface is very dull.

HOW DO YOU APPLY THE MAINTENACE COAT?

Now there are difficult, moderate and easy processes to maintain products….

EkoFlo maintenance is ‘Easier than Easy’!

The PROCESS-

1. Simply ‘wash’ any dust and debris from the surface
2. Wait a minimum of 4 hours (in optimal weather) or until the next day for excess water to dry
3. Avoid RAIN or IRRIGATION for a minimum of 24 hours BEFORE/AFTER application

*When the surface is cleaned and allowed to dry you are ready to apply the maintenance coat

How to APPLY-

1. The only tools you need are a tarp (to avoid spills and stains), a ‘tight-NAP’ paint roller(s), a paint tray and EKOFLO. Coverage is 100-150sf./ gallon. *Assure there is a minimum of 24 hours before rainfall and turn off any nearby irrigation
2. Think of painting a garage floor, that’s about how easy the process is. Mark of 25-50 sf at a time to assure the correct amount of EKOFLO is being applied
3. After the EKOFLO maintenance coat has been applied all you need to do is ‘WAIT’. In optimal temperature conditions the EKOFLO maintenance coat should cure within 12-24 hours (oftentimes sooner). However, just like the initial installation, you will know when the maintenance coat is cured when the surface is smooth and dry to the touch. *If the surface is tacky, it means it is still ‘curing

OK……things aren’t always easy. There can be challenges. There can be installation errors. There can be ‘acts of NATURE’. There can be the need to remove parts of the pavement. Maybe the EKOFLO surface wasn’t properly maintained.

What happens if there is actual ‘damage’, larger areas, potholes, etc?

The GOOD NEWS- your surface can still be salvaged!

The most common issue is lack of maintenance. If a few pebbles become loose they become ‘grinding stones’ that can cause more pebbles to loosen until a divot/pothole can form. Or maybe you had an irrigation pipe that required a section of the EKOFLO surface be removed.

The BEST way to make these repairs-

1. Clean out any loose pebbles and wash the surface of any dust/debris
2. It is best to make repairs with ‘NEW’ pebbles to assure proper bonding
3. Simply mix the pebbles with EKOFLO at our recommended rates *1/4 of a 5-gallon container of mixed pebbles will cover 1.25 sf., so a little goes a long way. Try to calculate the amount of mixed pebbles you’d need.
4. It is recommended to apply a ‘Maintenance Coat’ over the entire surface after any repairs are made. It will keep the color of the surface consistent and will help assure a full-strength bond with the pebbles is formed

As always…….if you are unsure about the correct methods to maintain your EKOFLO-treated installation, simply give a shout out to our TECH SUPPORT DEPARTMENT. 877,356.2250 x 2

WE ARE HERE TO ASSIST AND HELP ASSURE YOUR PROJECT EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS